Meghalaya High Court grants bail to BJP leader Bernard Marak in three-year-old girl’s rape case

The Meghalaya High Court on November 14 granted bail to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bernard N Marak in a case pertaining to the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl at his farmhouse in the state's West Garo Hills district.

While passing the order, a single bench of Justice W Diengdoh noted that there was no direct evidence that link Marak to the alleged sexual assault of the child, and observed that the politician was confined on “very flimsy grounds”.

The court also stated that the accused was not apprehended along with the girl during a raid on his farmhouse, and to say that he is likely to be the offender just because he owns the property where the crime took place is “too far-fetched”

“On consideration of the facts and circumstances involving the case of the accused brother of the petitioner, keeping in mind the value of liberty of a person who is confined in custody on very flimsy grounds, this court is of the opinion that the instant petition has some merits,” the court stated.

Notably, on July 26, Marak was apprehended from the Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh a few days after the Meghalaya Police allegedly busted a sex racket at his private farmhouse in West Garo Hills.

A case was registered at Tura women's police station under sections of the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act, 1956. Marak was earlier accused of being involved in extorting money from traders.